sauces

Crème Anglaise (Vanilla Custard Sauce)

Name: Crème Anglaise (Vanilla Custard Sauce)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 5 large egg yolks; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1-1/2 cups whole milk; 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract); Pinch of kosher salt

The French pouring custard that serves as the base for ice cream and the sauce for about a hundred different desserts. Egg yolks, sugar, milk, vanilla — stirred over low heat until it thickens just enough to coat the back of a spoon. The key is knowing when to stop: too hot and the yolks curdle, too cool and it stays thin.

Prep: 5 min Cook: 10 min Total: 15 min Serves: 6

Ingredients

5 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until pale and slightly thick, about 1 minute.
Heat milk with the vanilla bean (pod and seeds) and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not boil.
Slowly pour about half the hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. This tempers the yolks so they do not scramble.
Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula in a figure-eight pattern.
The custard is done when it reaches 170°F to 175°F and coats the back of the spoon — draw your finger through it and the line should hold. Do not let it boil.
Immediately strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Remove the vanilla pod (if using extract, add it now). Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until cold.